This morning, Mayor Chow announced Council mid-term member appointments through the Striking Committee. As part of these changes, the Mayor has removed me as Vice-Chair of the Planning and Housing Committee and the housing-related boards of CreateTO and the Toronto Parking Authority.
While I respect Mayor Chow’s right to make this political decision, it is still disappointing. Despite different views on many issues, I thought the Mayor and I were aligned on the need to get more homes built in Toronto and deliver supply-related solutions. Clearly, her priorities lie elsewhere.
Unfortunately, the Mayor has chosen politics over progress on the housing file.
I am proud of my track record of pushing the Mayor and Council for more ambitious housing outcomes on a wide range of policies: from multiplexes, major streets and avenues, to proposing the amendments needed to secure nearly half-a-billion dollars from the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund.
As Vice-Chair for the past 16 months, I have worked with housing advocates and industry leaders to deliver these positive and meaningful wins on the housing file – despite significant pushback from the Mayor’s hand-picked committee Chair, who will remain in his role.
Toronto’s housing starts are down 91% from the 10-year average. Instead of finding pragmatic solutions to this crisis, the Mayor and her team are doubling down on their ideological commitment to the Public Builder model, which will just build more bureaucracy instead of building more housing.
I want Toronto to succeed. That is why I cannot agree with the direction the administration is going on the housing file.
I am laser-focused on the concerns I’m hearing from residents in my ward and across the city. On their behalf, I will continue to hold the Mayor to account and work to deliver results. Our future success and prosperity depend on it.
About Brad Bradford - - -
